mike734

Rumor has it Alaska will hire about 40 next year. I would not be surprised to see more. You need to follow the instructions on the web to apply. It helps to know someone who can recommend you but our chief pilot is such a _____ I don't suppose it really matters all that much.

I can't recommend the airline any more but maybe you will like it.

LAfrequentflyer

What about Horizon? I'd appreciate any info on them from those that work there or have been there...Just curious about them...

V/r,
LAFreq

SkyHigh

I spent a few years at Horizon. For the most part it is a depressing and life wasting dead end. I went there because an old Alaska Captain told me that "If I wanted to work for Alaska then I had better get on with Horizon". That was lesson number one, never listen to old Captains on how to get hired anywhere. The last time this guy had to look for work it was in the early 70's. I spent three years there and during that entire time 4 guys were hired from Horizon and 40 to 80 were hired from Skywest. The reality hit home one day when I was driving through town and saw a senior captain driving out from his trailer house in a mobile home park. The pay and opportunities are low. It takes around 8 years for a pilot to go through all the stages starting with denial and ending with acceptance. Almost everyone I have ever known who works there never was able to leave. The pilots there are depressed and sad every day. Upgrade is painfully slow. Currently it is between 5 and 7 years. I blame Horizon with killing my career.

SkyHigh

Mike,

What happened to the expected 300-400 hires by this time? Years ago we were all told at Horizon that Alaska would have to hire hundreds a year by now inorder to replace retiring pilots? By my calculations you should be short by a few hundred pilots by now. What is the deal?

SkyHigh

dash trash

Wow, Bitter Much? You need to get over it bro! Horizon is hireing a little. About 8 a month for the fall and spring. We do small classes. Horizon pilots are some of the highest paid in the country. We make more that Skywest and are MUCH more stable. Horizon may not be the fastest upgrade, but you are on solid ground. We fly under our own name, sell our own tickets and contract only a small number of RJ's to Frontier. What do you think will happen to Skywest when Delta goes BK? When UAL decides to change the contract? Are you willing to pin your hopes on DAL and UAL? That is what you do at Skywest. This is not bad, just risky. Horizon's bases are SEA PDX and DEN. Not to bad. Good pay. Strong contract. The pilot group is Great. We do have lot of senior pilots here, but why not. Make 100K a year and no commute? Not too shabby. Good thing you had a chance to leave the company. Mabey it was your attitude that was bringing down the moral around you!

Mahalo.

mike734

Dash trash is right, (he can't spell worth a damn) but he is right about the pay at Horizon. I think top pay is about 115/year. Not too bad for a RJ. Of course I think they should be making 250 but I am living a delusion.

As far as, "Where is the hiring?" I don't know. You see, "thinking weakens the team" and "I don't have the big picture." For these reasons I don't ask why anymore. I think we are woefully understaffed. Reserves are flying 80 per month fairly often and are being abused by schedulers. (IMO)

A working theory is that the company is still trying to hammer out a contract acceptable to the pilots (yeah right) and will staff more appropriately when they know the staffing levels needed. We'll see.

SkyHigh

Are you one of the latest hires? I am sure that to a CFI who just got on at Horizon then it would seem like a great place. However, I still know a lot of people who work there and I hear that much of the attrition is from people leaving in disgust. Besides I don't know what you have been reading but I am told that it takes 20 years to get to 115K. That is a long time to someone who is trying to start a family on 24K per year.
If flying anything is your goal and you don't mind being tired and ragged on your days off then Horizon is for you. The majority of the time you are there you will be earning less than poverty wages and 8 to 9 legs a day takes its toll. Yea I am bitter at Horizon, it is proof that I spent some time there. Everyone older than 25 is bitter and angry at the company. My take home pay was $450 every two weeks. We all grew old and depressed while pilots ot other companies passed us all by for Alaska Airlines. Horizon is a conseviative company. They will sit on the sidelines and watch others take on opportunity. Lets talk again in two years and we will see what you opinion is by then. The kicker is that if you leave within two years then you are black balled from Alaska, but then Alaska wouldn't hire you anyway since they were not hiring Hirizon pilots at the time. It was my biggest career mistake.


SkyHigh

LAfrequentflyer

Thanks for your inputs on horizon...i want a company that is forward thinking (even if they are a regional- business is business...to excel you need to lead / take risks not follow others...)...don't get me wrong - i don't want one thats flip about safety / FARs...


Did you find retired military at horizon? if so, what was their outlook on being there...

v/r,

Mach None

I doubt Horizon pay will remain that high for much longer. 12 year + Alaska captains are making 154/hr flying anywhere from 140 to 172 seats and a Horizon RJ guy is making 115/hr flying 74 seats. Economy of scale bro, big brother will come for you. I have a lot of respect for Horizon and their pilots, but you must realize, the Horizon pay will not remain that high.

Alaska will hire 43 on this current bid with around the same more on the next bid in Jan. I would imagine 40 more this fall. It is still a good job and we will be around for some time.

tomba187

Anyone considering Horizon should listen to SkyHigh. QX is a career killer. I have spent a painful 6 years at QX in the right seat. No one is happy, moral is in the toilet, and those great wages Dash Trash likes to talk about will be all but gone once the contract becomes amendable next year. Jet Blue is flying 100 seat RJs for 75/hr. you think Horizon is going to continue paying 115/hr for 70 seat RJs. I tell everyone that has been there less then 2 years to bail for skywest. I took that logic of skywest not being secure because of their contract flying...worse decision ever. Skywest is financially secure and not going anywhere.